Mileage n’ Migraine
Ahoy, butt-bombs! I had a migraine late last night, but I’m only including that info for my own reference; the main point of today’s blog is the fact that it’s the end of the month, so we’re tallying the monthly walking/running mileage to see if I’m still on pace for 7,000 miles for the year.
April mileage: 641.63
Monthly average mileage: 607.27
Current end mileage with this pace: 7287.24
That’s good! Gotta keep it up, though, or do better.
AAAAAAAAA GOOD JOB, CANADA
We did it! We didn’t screw it up!
(Source)
Looks like there will be a minority Liberal government.
This election was heavily, heavily influenced by Trump. So thanks, Trumpster Dumpster, you kept Canada Liberal!
I really like Carney; I hope he does great things for this country.
Edit: more fun tweets:
(Source)
(Source)
(Freaking Alberta, man)
Election: Canadian Edition
The much-anticipated 2025 Federal Election is HERE! Let’s do it.
Ugh, god, this thing is invoking just as much anxiety as the little electoral college counter that CTV had for the last several US presidential elections.
I’m too nervous to actually blog about any of this today; we’ll see what the final results are later tonight, but until then, I’m going to try to not puke.
Oh, Moscow.
It’s good to see that Moscow is still weird.
For the most part.
It’s not as weird as it used to be, but it’s still got its weird moments.
Anyway.
Every time I come back here, it always blows my mind how close everything is. I can walk basically anywhere in town within a maximum of, like, 45 minutes. I could hit all three major grocery stores (Rosauers, Safeway, Winco) quite easily on one trip. I can’t say the same thing about the three closest grocery stores to us in Calgary (Safeway, Save-On, FreshCo…I think).
Also, I love how I can just doodily-doo across four lanes of traffic without even a threat of getting mowed over because there’s nobody on the road. Again, can’t do that in Calgary. You can barely do that on a one-way back street in Calgary.
I haven’t walked through campus yet, but I’m sure I will before I head back up north.
Trumpster Dumpster vs. Canada
This is a really good overview of the Canadian attitudes and thoughts on the upcoming election, the influence of Trump, and the thoughts about America in general. Please watch it, my American friends, so you get an idea of what’s going on up north.
It really has been a huge, palpable surge of patriotism over the past few months. Canada is very different than the US when it comes to overt, visible displays of patriotism. But there is a lot of blatant national pride right now. Flags everywhere, the “elbows up” thing, etc. It’s really, really interesting.
Squishy Mushy Fee-Fees
I was thinking about this today on my walk: is there somebody in your life (or who used to be in your life) whose very existence just…makes you happy? Puts you at ease? Brings you peace? Is there a person that you can just briefly think about and suddenly feel 100% better about everything?
A “comfort human,” if you will? I don’t think this necessarily has to be the person you love the most, or even a person you love in a familial or romantic way. It’s just some person who just dulls the angry noises in your head the instant you think about them. You don’t even have to see them or talk to them. Just thinking about them sends a wave of tranquility through your being.
Do you have a comfort human?
I do. And, surprisingly, it’s not my husband and it’s not my mom.
It’s Sean. I don’t know what it is about him and our relationship, but he’s someone that I can think of and immediately just feel better about existence. I can be having the worst day until I conjure up a picture of him in my head – or even just the sound of his voice – and I feel more grounded and less OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD. It’s almost like I can rationalize the existence of good in the universe because the universe was able to create him.
Is that weird? Creepy? Both?
EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEA haha just kidding it’s a survey
Same thing, really.
If you had 3 dozen eggs right now, what would you do with them?
Probably put them in the fridge. Then make scrambled eggs over the course of like three months.
Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
I danced with Rob at night once, does that count?
Is cheese one of your favorite food items?
Cheese freaking rules.
Do you like ham and eggs?
I like eggs, but I don’t like ham.
Do you like the band Atreyu?
I don’t think I’ve ever consciously heard a song of theirs.
They’re amazing aren’t they?
Uh, sure?
Where is your favorite place to go on Tuesday?
Running. I go to a place…in my mind.
Ever listen to Asia?
Again, probably, but not consciously.
Do you like any bands from the 80’s?
Duh.
Ever eat smoked sausage and cabbage?
That sounds gross.
Is this survey pretty grammatically correct so far?
I haven’t been paying attention.
Ever watch SpongeBob or any other Nick shows?
SpongeBob (at least older SpongeBob) is great.
What is your favorite movie and how old is it?
My favorite movie is either Apollo 13 (1995) or Mystery Men (1999).
Do you like any movies from the 80’s?
Again, duh.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream to eat when it’s cold outside?
The same flavor of ice cream I like when it’s hot. Oreo. Or mint chocolate chip.
What is your favorite character from your current favorite media? It can be from a book, movie, or cartoon.
I am still 100% obsessed with SolarBalls, so I guess that’s what I’m picking from! My favorite character is Uranus. Not just because Uranus is my favorite planet in real life, haha, but because I think he’s a very interesting character. There’s a lot of directions he could go at the moment.
Who is the person you hate more than anything else in the world?
Me.
Ever watch the show Supernatural? If you have, then what’s your favorite episode?
Never seen it.
Ever heard of flavored honey? If so, what’s you’re favorite flavor.
That sounds…weird.
Do you like Kool-Aid?
I didn’t mind it as a kid. I haven’t had it as an adult.
What’s your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid?
I think they all tasted the same to me.
What is your favorite number times 3?
33.
Did that last question stump you?
Nope.
Is duck butter sticky or not?
Sorry, what?
If you could go back in time, what time would you go back to?
LEIBNIZ TIME
Do you remember what your favorite show was when you were little?
I liked TaleSpin quite a lot.
Do they still play that show on TV?
Doubt it. It’s on Disney+ though.
What is your favorite name?
I like the name Hugo.
Is there an unusual way to spell it?
Probably.
Do you own more than 6 stuffed animals?
No, surprisingly.
How many pairs of shoes do you own?
HAHAHAHAHAH KINVARA GRAVEYARD
IF you could change your name to anything in the world, what would it be?
No idea.
Ever been to a professional football/basketball/baseball game?
Yes!
What are your favorite sports teams?
Mets.
What game system do you own if you own one?
I don’t personally own any; Nate has a few.
If communists had wings could they fly?
In Communist Russia, wings use YOU to fly!!!!!
Can you wink?
Yeah.
What about flipping your tongue over?
Yup.
Tired of this quiz yet?
It’s certainly not the best survey I’ve done.
That’s okay because I’m done now.
Yay.
CH-CH-CH-CHANGES
(I think I’ve used this title before.)
(Anyway.)
I’ve walked around Moscow a few times now and have run to and from Pullman a few times now as well, so here are some observations about stuff that’s changed since the last time I’ve been here:
- The Gambino’s billboard that you could see as you drive into Moscow from Pullman is now a billboard for JackJack’s Diner. I’m pretty sure that Gambino’s billboard has been there since I was born, so that’s pretty sad.
- That new Home Depot seems really out of place. Is that just me? Why is it there?
- HOW THE HELL DID SHARI’S CLOSE IT’S A 24-HOUR RESTAURANT IN A COLLEGE TOWN
- The Palouse Mall is now called…The Palouse Place? So it says on the doors, at least. Odd news.
- That big farm house with the white fence right along the Chipman Trail between mile markers 2 and 1 on the way to Pullman? The family that has lived there forever must have moved, because their little “population” sign is gone and the “GO COUGS” lights are gone as well.
- Edit: Yeah, they must be gone. That little dome thing no longer says “Siggie Dome” on it.
- I haven’t actually been in the mall yet because it always makes me sad (it’s not what it used to be), but my mom told me that Rite Aid is basically just selling stuff until it’s gone and then they’re going to close. Rite Aid was always a fun store to go to for me when I used to go to the mall with my dad. I bought my first eyeshadows there. They had the one type of journal that I always used for school. They had Ring Pops. Life is sadness.
- Prices at Walmart don’t seem to have gone up to the same degree as the prices at Winco.
Thanks, Mongolian BBQ!
This is actually hilarious.
“Everything’s going to work out!”
…
“Except those lucky numbers. You ain’t gettin’ those.”
Want to see the most Canadian news article ever?
“French-Language Leaders’ Debate Moved to Avoid Conflict with Habs Game”
Can’t let politics distract from hockey!
I also love that this isn’t the first time something like this has happened.
K that’s all.
Fromage A Trois
What up, POSERS??
I’m back in Moscow for a stint. Did a marathon this morning and then went to WinCo.
The tariffs are already starting to hit grocery prices, huh? Prices at WinCo were, in general, much higher than I remember from last year.
The one exception? Dairy.
Consider this bag of cheese:
How much do you think this little buddy cost?
$1.98.
$1.98.
At absolute minimum, a bag of cheese this size in Calgary would cost like $5.95.
Insanity.
Anyway.
Book review: The Fountainhead (Rand)
Have I read this before: Nopers.
Review: I really liked this book. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I don’t (or didn’t, rather) know anything about Rand’s philosophy other than it gets a lot of criticism, so maybe that allowed me to enjoy this book more than if I’d gone into it knowing what to expect in terms of that philosophy being infused in it.
Just as a story, it’s really good. Rand has an enjoyable writing style. It’s clean, blunt, and peppered with natural but arresting analogies. Roark was, of course, a very intriguing character, but I think I like the way that Dominique was written the most. It’s like we’re allowed to see what she does and get a glimpse of why, but we’re never quite in her head the way we are with Roark or Keating or even Toohey. She’s almost written in a fog, if that makes any sense. Which matches with her withdrawal from her values throughout most of the book.
If you include Rand’s philosophy alongside the story, I still think it’s really good. The development of her Objectivism came after the publication of The Fountainhead, so it’s never explicitly included, but the basic viewpoints are in there. I can see why those views can be criticized and can be easily warped into something their not, but the way Roark goes off on his philosophical rant near the end of the book and explains his understanding of “selfishness” makes this viewpoint really make sense in my opinion.
Favorite Part: Roark going off on the meaning of selfishness. It’s too long to re-type here, haha, but it’s a really good explanation of Rand’s idea of selfishness and individualism.
Rating: 7/10
Guess Who VOTED?
ME!
We’re doing early voting because I’m going to be in the ‘Scow on the actual voting day.
But I hope my vote makes a difference!
Pepper is a Weird Girl
I love her, hahaha.
Lalalalala
Oooh, I like this. This sounds really good on the Sennheisers.
Edit: apparently some people hate it because it “ruins the simplicity of the original version.” Are they aware that part of the purpose of a remix is to give a song a different vibe?
Don’t like it, don’t listen. More for me, haha.
Today involved:
Twenty miles of running.
Five pitas.
Two hours of sleep.
One can of Monster.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
(I am a responsible adult, I swear.)
(I made sure to drink the Monster while I had the pitas.)
Hey, I live there!
I’m actually surprised it’s gone to the Conservatives since its creation, actually, mainly because it contains the U of C. But I guess we’re in ‘Berta, so everything tends to swing Conservative here.
I’M SO EXCITED TO VOTE NNNNNNNNGH
Leeeeeeeeet’s ULTRA!
Today was PERFECT running weather so I ended up doing a 50k.
I think the plan this year will be to do at least one ultramarathon (50k+) per month, weather permitting. I missed February because weather did not permit, but I think I got January and I know I got last month.
So yeah.
OK Love
So this isn’t my favorite OK Go video, but the song is a major earworm.
I absolutely love the line, “how marvelous just to be anything.”
OK Bye
Connect Again: Colorado Rockies
The Rockies have a new City Connect uniform! Check it:
Apparently people don’t like this one, but I dig it. It’s definitely better than their “we just took the state license plate and put it on a shirt” City Connect from a few years ago. They’re very 80s.
I think this would go in the “S” tier with the Padres and the Rays.
I Have a Runner’s Body
Features include:
- Janky toenails
- Missing toenails
- Weird seasonal tan lines
- Garmin tan line that will never, ever fade
- Chafing tape residue
- Callouses in places that I never thought could have callouses
- At least one Band-Aid somewhere
- Shaved legs for AERODYNAMICS
- Backwards hat for AERODYNAMICS
- Extremely high heart rate spikes when I realize I can’t outrun an angry goose on the path
- Scars from embarrassing falls
- “Running is my whole personality” personality
- The existential angst I keep thinking I can outrun
- CALVES
Learning About Letters (and being terrified of the letter “V”)
I’m pretty sure I’ve blogged about this before, but we had this on VHS when I was a kid and it’s still in my head somewhere.
Comments:
- The hair on that lilac Muppet at 1:51 always made me super happy. It looks like such a nice texture.
- “‘C’ is for Cookie” is a banger.
- The deadpan delivery of “Harry the Horse” at 9:05 is great.
- In Bert’s defense, “linoleum” is a pretty awesome word.
- That story for “V” (19:50) terrified me as a kid. I’d leave the room every time, haha.
- That segment from 21:09-22:38 was always one of my favorite parts.
Woo!
Do You Run? Do You WANT to Run?
Check out this little wiki by Jonathan Savage (“Fellrnr”).
There’s a lot of really good info in here about running and everything related to it. He’s also got a pretty good sense of humor about things, too. For example, the third “Possible Cause” in the “Fatigue and sleepiness” ultramarathon problem:
PMLE: It’s Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
Well, I guess it never left.
It’s not something that just goes away, from what I’ve read.
Which is why I had suspected that I never actually had it in the first place, because I had no symptoms of it over the past few summers.
But cue my first run in the early April sun today and guess what happens?
PMLE symptoms! The itching, the redness, the basketball texture on my forearms. The eruptions. Very reminiscent of…whenever the last time was I had symptoms.
I strongly suspect that this thing has been “dormant” the past few years because a) I have been consistently wearing my long sleeve sun shirt thingy on my summer walks, and b) most of my summer runs have been at like 2 AM where – surprise, surprise – there is no sunlight to trigger the eruptions.
So yeah. I’m assuming that will happen now when I’m out in the sun for a while, at least until my arms “harden” or I start wearing my sun shirt. I guess we’ll see.
Fun times.
Paint-A-Thon
A new one!
If there’s anyone who can make watercoloring a tedious process, it’s me, haha.
Eigenblogger 